Halfway is No Way

KEEPING BREVARD BEACHES CLEAN FOR  
LOVE OF PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

If you're going to do a beach cleanup, you can't do it halfway.

Crowd-less beach
 South of Fifth Ave. Indialantic

This morning we drove to a beach access in South Indialantic we'd never been to before.
 What a gorgeous day, however, it's getting a bit chilly down here in The Sunshine State.  Upper 40s last night and mid 60s - 70s this morning. Egads!  We (bundled up in sweatshirts) walked onto the vast expanse of empty beach in the glow of the autumn sun and began our days effort.  I love this place. There was a gentle sea, lots of shells and plenty of trash.  Big chunks of plastic were strewn across the sand.  I was picking my way up the beach when I noticed a large piece of something ahead. When I reached it  I was surprised to find a pile of trash half buried under the sand.  Rope, chunks of plastic, cups, shredded plastic bags; all the usual, nasty suspects.  As I was filling my tote bag to capacity, I noticed another collection of trash up the beach.

Leftover litter

Abandoned at the beach

Before I could get to it I had to "offload". Comparing notes with my cohort, I discovered he cleaned up a trash collection in the opposite direction.  It was as though someone had done a beach cleanup halfway.  They collected the trash but left it along the dunes (for the wind to blow around and the tide to wash out).  If you're going to do a beach cleanup halfway is no way.

Shovel trouble

We collected three tote bags full of junk.  Weight wise it must have been over 20 lbs of trash.

The rope tally for the day was 50 ft. That was collected within a short distance from the steps. My total has risen to 686 ft. or 228.66 yds.   There is so much out there.

Rope from the wrack

 I'm learning a lot from others who are also doing trash cleanups, for instance Danielle in North Carolina.  Visit itstartswithme-danielle.blogspot.com. Danielle is doing an amazing cleanup in Wrightsville Beach, NC and has posted some videos about the problem of plastic on her blog.  I knew it was bad but I had no idea it was this shocking.  It's heart wrenching to see how animals are suffering for our carelessness.   I like to believe we can overcome what has already been done but we've got a lot of work to do and it's going to take all of us.

Thanks for checking out my blog.

Within our seas
there's been a breech
It's time for all
to hug a beach

Hapless headset

Hefty haul